Mobile phones are becoming an integral part of every day life for most citizens in the US and other countries. At the same time, Third Generation (3G) wireless technologies and competition are rapidly expanding the features and capabilities offered by these devices to include wireless Internet access, Global Positioning System (GPS), picture transmission and video transmission. Mobile phones can also provide a speed dial for emergency calls to 911. Current systems, however, do not offer the capability for a plurality of users to collaborate to identify an emergency or hazard situation and to alert other users in the same geographic area to give them the opportunity to provide assistance for the emergency or to avoid the identified hazard.
The present invention seeks to address the aforementioned limitations in the prior technology in addition to providing previously unavailable advantages and conveniences.